The Safest Place - Bae's reaction to his little brother? (I know I sent something already, but I can't resist after reading he and Rumple make up sooner)
I am trying to do the math to see how old Gideon would be but I have, like, no idea, so I’m gonna say four because fuck the OUAT timeline, it’s canonically a mess so who can tell me I’m wrong?
“You used to do that for me all the time, I remember.”
Rumplestiltskin straightened out, his leg protesting as it was made to bear weight again. Gideon’s face, previously smeared with honey, was now clean.
“Yes, well, he’s as much of a messy eater as you were once.”
“Bae-Bae!”
Neal looked down at were his brother- his brother- was looking up at him with something akin to hero-worship. If Belle had come as a bit of a surprise to him, who never thought his father capable of that sort of affection after his transformation- Gideon had given him quite a shock. He had noticed the similarities the moment the child escaped his mother’s clutches and ran towards them as soon as they entered Storybrooke. Same floofy hair, same brown eyes and the same air of boyish mischief that characterised all the males of the family, apparently.
He had thought at first that the slight air of melancholy he noticed around the boy, the seriousness that seemed to always surround him, was due to the tense circumstances that surrounded their first meeting- their papa poisoned and bleeding, Cora on their heels, on the verge of an attack. But there was always a solemn air about Gideon, some sort of weight he seemed to carry around whenever he went, specially around strangers. But with his family the boy was exuberant and carefree, the markings of a happy childhood in every gesture he made. He remember being equally happy at his age, even amidst the poverty of his upbringing. His papa had fought hard for every smile and every laugh and seeing him with Gideon, equally as devoted, made it easier to remember the good times. It also made it abundantly clear that, unlike what he had thought when he was fourteen and brash, being the Dark One hadn’t made Rumplestiltskin lose his kindness and inner goodness, though it had made it all the more difficult to access. He must have fought hard for it, to keep the demons at bay, to get that kind of control. Not that he was prepared to trust it, and him. Not yet.
“Yeah, so, Henry and I are going for burgers and someone told me you are a big fan of Granny’s. Want to come, little man?”
The little boy’s eyes got wider, if it was at all possible, and he squealed in assent, elated that his big brother had thought of him. Apparently papa had spent a lot of Gideon’s four years telling the tot about his big brother, to the point that to Gideon there was no braver knight or greatest hero in all the realms. His big brother was larger than life, and none of that shine had worn off after their first meeting. If anything the appreciation had grown after seeing Neal handling a cutlass.
“Go on, Gid. And remember your table manners.”
Rumplestiltskin’s heart melted when Gideon, usually so shy around people, took Neal’s hand without hesitation, extending the other towards his crocheted dragon, summoning it to his grasp with nary a thought. At four the child had amazing control over his magic, as if it was as natural as breathing for him. For a second or two he expected Neal to recoil in front of such blatant display of power, but he simply nodded, impressed.
“Neat.”
Gideon glowed with the praise and Rumplestiltskin coughed, trying to pretend he was not overcome by emotion and failing miserably.
Yeah, this is Mossy, Gideon’s crocheted dragon (made by Rumple, of course). You can learn how to make it here.
